Bachelor's Programme in Nursing Programme description

The Bachelor¿s Programme in Nursing is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits). Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree of Bachelor in Nursing. The programme is based on the national curriculum for the three-year education of nurses and the National Curriculum Regulations adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 25 January 2008.

The programme is mainly taught in Sandvika, Kunnskapens Hus, and clinical training is, in general, taken in Bærum municipality. The proximity to Oslo poses continuous challenges to the nursing programme in relation to social and financial differences. This includes substance abuse and mental health disorders, youth-related issues, the increasing number of elderly people and people who live alone, and more criminality, violence and accidents. The challenges of big cities constitute an important and major part of the experience basis students acquire from clinical training. 

Cultural diversity is a reality in all segments of society. This development is particularly visible in the city and surrounding areas, with a more ethnically and culturally complex population. The programme therefore aims to educate nurses who are capable of incorporating this diversity and providing health care in accordance with changes to the need for healthcare and the patients¿ cultural and linguistic background.

The bachelor¿s programme is based on the forefront of research and experience-based knowledge and is run in collaboration with the department¿s research environments and the professional field.

The values of nursingPeople are in continuous interaction and change, and live in the tension between health, disease, well-being and suffering. Nursing as a profession focuses its efforts on individuals and groups of patients and next of kin, both in the health services and society at large. The main goal is to promote health, treat and rehabilitate patients during and after illness, and to ease suffering.

Care is deemed to be the core of nursing science and the nursing profession. This rests on a holistic perspective on humanity that builds on respect, responsibility, equality, justice, love of humanity and safeguarding people¿s autonomy, integrity and dignity. A holistic human perspective sees people as a whole being made up of physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions.

The nurse¿s knowledge basisTending to, caring for and treating people constitute the cornerstones of a nurse¿s competence, according to the national curriculum. The practice of nursing is complex and diverse and must therefore rely on knowledge obtained from several sciences representing different types of knowledge.

Nursing as a profession in the health servicesNurses play a key role in the Norwegian health services and form one of several health-related professions. Interdisciplinary cooperation is a precondition for quality in the health services, in addition to good cooperation between different service levels and roles. Nurses are expected to take an open approach to the theoretical and methodological complexity they will encounter in both clinical nursing and research. This includes the use of modern technical equipment, digital communication and computer systems. Nurses should also take a critical and reflective attitude towards power relations, society and health policy.

In general, clinical training is taken in the municipal health service and specialist health service in Bærum municipality. In the municipal health service, the students will encounter health issues related to living near a big city with all this entails of social, cultural and economic divisions. In connection with the Coordination Reform (Report No 47 to the Storting, 2008¿2009), the municipal health service has taken over more responsibility for the treatment and care of people with medical problems. Tasks that were previously assigned to the specialist health service now fall within the municipalities¿ area of responsibility and health service. In order to provide professionally sound healthcare, the municipalities will further improve home treatment and preventive health services.

Relevance to working lifeA bachelor¿s degree in nursing forms the basis for applying for authorisation as a nurse pursuant to the Norwegian Health Personnel Act, approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs on 2 July 1999, and qualifies candidates to work in all parts of the health services: hospitals, nursing homes, home nursing care, preventive health care, occupational health services, offshore, the ambulance service and international aid organisations.

Relevance to further educationThe programme qualifies candidates for further education and master¿s degree programmes, both at OsloMet ¿ Oslo Metropolitan University and at other institutions.The programme description consists of a general section that applies to the programme as a whole, followed by descriptions of the individual courses.

The target group for the programme is people who wish to work with those who suffer, or could suffer, from illness or failing health.

The admission requirements are, in accordance with the Regulations for Admission to Higher Education, the Higher Education Entrance Qualification or an assessment of prior learning and work experience.

The nursing programmes at OsloMet ¿ Oslo Metropolitan University also have the following special admission requirements:

• An average grade of 3 or better is required in the subject Norwegian Vg3 (393 hours) from Norwegian upper secondary school (average of all the grades awarded in Norwegian first-choice form, second-choice form and oral).

Applicants who are admitted to the programme must submit a transcript of police records, cf. the Regulations for admission to higher education Chapter 6.L

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme. During periods of clinical training, the rules on clothing at the establishment where the training takes place apply.

After completing the bachelor's programme in nursing, the candidate is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

KnowledgeThe student:

• has broad knowledge of nursing as a discipline and a profession
• has broad knowledge of research and professional development
• has broad knowledge of quality assurance, organisation and management
• has broad knowledge of health promotion and preventive work, teaching and guidance
• has broad knowledge of health policy priorities and the legal framework for professional practice
• has knowledge of and understands health and illness in a multicultural perspective
• is capable of updating their knowledge in the field of nursing

SkillsThe student:

• is capable of applying discipline knowledge in their professional nursing practice
• is capable of attending to patients¿ basic needs by observing, assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating and documenting nursing
• masters nursing through an evidence-based approach
• masters relevant professional tools, techniques, procedures and forms of communication
• is capable of reflecting on ethical issues and contributing to discussions that address the needs of patients, next of kin and society for satisfactory health services
• is capable of inter-professional cooperation to create a coordinated, holistic and comprehensive service
• is capable of reflecting on their own practice and adjusting it under supervision

CompetenceThe student:

• is capable of communicating important theories, issues and solutions in the field, both orally and in writing
• is capable of sharing professional opinions and experience to contribute to the development of sound nursing practices
• has insight into relevant academic and professional ethical issues and is capable of applying professional ethical guidelines for nurses

The programme comprises 13 compulsory courses*, which make up a total of 180 credits. The programme can be organised as a full-time course of study over three years with four courses (60 credits) per year. The programme comprises both theory and clinical training. Theoretical studies make up 90 credits, while clinical training accounts for 90 credits. The courses build on each other to ensure progress with increasing requirements for knowledge and understanding of the profession. Each course concludes with a final assessment.

*Students can choose to replace the course SYBAPRA3 Clinical Studies, Health Promotive and Preventive Work with the course International Public Health, which is included in other programmes at the Institute of Health Sciences. The course is taken in the third semester (autumn) and the students¿ course of study will therefore be adapted since the course SYBAPRA3 is taken during a spring semester.

SYBAS2110 starts in the first year of the programme, and the exam must be passed during the course of the second year in order to take the third year of the programme. In the third year, students will take the courses SYBASPRA5A and SYBASPRA6B. The A courses are taken in the autumn semester and the B courses are taken in the spring and have a longer clinical training period.

NATIONAL CURRICULUMThe national curriculum divides the nurse¿s knowledge basis into four main topics and provides guidelines as to the credit distribution between these main topics.

Main topic 1: The nurse¿s technical and scientific basis (33 credits)This main topic is intended to contribute to the students¿ understanding of the history, underlying philosophy and professional ethics of the nursing profession.

Main topic 2: The nursing discipline and professional basis (72 credits)This main topic is intended to provide the students with a tool for integrating knowledge from the other main topics, achieve an understanding of how illness manifests both individually and in groups of patients, and practise skills and the will to adapt nursing in relation to what different patients and situations require.

Main topic 3: Medical and natural science topics (45 credits)This main topic is intended to contribute to the students¿ knowledge of normal human anatomy and physiology, pathological conditions and processes, how diagnoses are made and how illness is treated.

Main topic 4: Social science topics (30 credits)This main topic contributes to the students¿ understanding of human development and learning and how people relate to each other in different societies and cultures. The topic is also aimed at increasing understanding of the health services and society.

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

• All coursework requirements in a course must be met before a student can take the exam in the course.
• The student must have passed all courses in the first year of the programme in order to start the second year of the programme.
• The student must have passed all courses in the second year of the programme in order to start the third year of the programme.

Fagplanen i norsk tegnspråk 1, trinn 1-10 (30 studiepoeng, oppdrag) bygger på forskrift om rammeplan for grunnskoleutdanningene for 1.-7. trinn og 5.-10. trinn, fastsatt av Kunnskapsdepartementet 1. mars 2010, og på gjeldende læreplan (fra 1. august 2013) i norsk tegnspråk i Læreplanverket for Kunnskapsløftet.

Norsk tegnspråk 1 har som hovedmål å gi en grunnleggende innføring i norsk tegnspråk for lærere som skal undervise i og på norsk tegnspråk. Stor vekt blir lagt på praktisk språklæring, og i tillegg inngår forskningsbasert kunnskap om grunnleggende grammatikk og døves kultur og historie. Etter behov blir noe av stoffet differensiert for ulike klassetrinn. For lærere uten forkunnskaper i tegnspråk kan det ikke forventes at norsk tegnspråk 1 gir en kompetanse som gjør dem i stand til selv å gjennomføre god undervisning i og på tegnspråk, og disse lærerne anbefales sterkt å gå videre på norsk tegnspråk 2.

Norsk tegnspråk 1 er hovedsakelig praktisk rettet og forbereder lærerne på møtet med elever som skal ha opplæring i og på tegnspråk. Som del av studietilbudet får deltakerne kompetanse som fører til kunnskapsdeling i eget kollegium, utprøving av ny faglig og fagdidaktisk kunnskap i faget, og pedagogisk bruk av IKT. Deltakerne skal arbeide med og analysere læreplanen i norsk tegnspråk i Læreplanverket for Kunnskapsløftet og kompetansemålene der, og med Rammeverket for grunnleggende ferdigheter i tegnspråk. De skal også reflektere over hvordan tilpasset opplæring kan være en integrert del av arbeidsmåten i faget norsk tegnspråk.

Norsk tegnspråk er et av de eldste og største minoritetsspråkene i Norge. Samtidig er kjennskapen til språket i det norske storsamfunnet fortsatt relativt liten. For elever med opplæring i og på tegnspråk er faget norsk tegnspråk derfor sentralt ikke bare for deres kommunikasjon, men også for deres kulturforståelse, dannelse og identitetsutvikling og for språklig selvtillit og trygghet. Deltakerne skal få en dypere forståelse av dette i løpet av studiet, slik at de kan bidra til at opplæring i og på tegnspråk blir gjennomført på en faglig forsvarlig måte.

Studiet er utviklet på oppdrag fra Kunnskapsdepartementet, med bakgrunn i Kompetanse for kvalitet - strategi for videreutdanning for lærere og skoleledere frem mot 2025. Målgruppen for studiet er lærere med pedagogisk bakgrunn i samsvar med rammeplanene for lærerutdanningene og som er tilsatt i skolen i studieperioden. Primært gjelder det lærere som skal undervise i og på norsk tegnspråk. Sekundært kan også lærere som skal undervise i norsk tegnspråk som fremmedspråk, inngå i målgruppen.

The Department of Nursing and Health Promotion has a well-established cooperation with a number of universities and university colleges in countries both in and outside Europe. The department is also a member of various international networks in the field. A period of study abroad can make an important contribution to academic and personal development; it will provide new challenges in the field, new international contacts, better language skills and insight into other cultures.

Instead of the course Clinical Studies, Health Promotive and Preventive Work, the students can choose to take the International Public Health course (15 credits), which is included in other bachelor¿s degrees at the Faculty of Health Sciences. All classes in this course are taught in English.

Students can take part in international intensive courses in Europe under the Erasmus programme, which is the EU¿s programme for cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe, and in the Nordic countries under the Nordplus framework programme. The courses last from between one and three weeks and are a student exchange where the student meets students from other countries and cooperates on international challenges relating to health issues. Some of the intensive courses are interdisciplinary.

Students can also take clinical training as part of their studies at institutions with which the department has cooperation agreements. This can be done in the second year of the programme in the fourth semester. Students who are going to a country in the South, i.e. Cuba and countries in Africa and Asia, must take part in a compulsory preparatory fieldwork course arranged by the university before departure.

As part of internationalisation at home, the university accepts exchange students through Erasmus and the Nordplus framework programme in the second and third years of the programme. Lecturers from partner institutions in and outside Europe will also give lectures and offer supervision each year. These will be given in English.

Coursework requirements are all types of work/activities/compulsory attendance that are conditions for being permitted to take the exam. The course descriptions specify which coursework requirements apply to each course. The deadline for submitting coursework is set by the person responsible for the course or lecturer.

The purpose of the coursework requirements is to:

• promote progress and academic development in the programme
• encourage students to seek out and acquire new knowledge
• facilitate cooperation and communication on nursing issues

Coursework requirements and compulsory activities in clinical training

All clinical training have different mandatory activities and tasks in the implementation. See chapter on Clinical training. In some clinical courses, there may also be requirements for work requirements and activities that must be approved before a final assessment of the subject can be made.

Assessment of coursework requirementsThe required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved by the person responsible for the course/lecturer. Fellow students can also participate in providing feedback on some of the coursework.

Validity of required courseworkIf more than one academic year passes between when a student¿s required coursework is approved and the exam in the course in question, the faculty can require the student to retake the coursework before being permitted to take the exam.

Not approved courseworkNormally, students are given three attempts to have coursework approved. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

As far as possible, the second attempt will be given before the ordinary exam, unless otherwise stated in the course description. The student must agree with the person responsible for the course/lecturer in each individual case.

If a second attempt is impossible due to the nature of the coursework requirements (e.g. attendance requirements or taking a first aid course that is only held once), the person responsible for the course/lecturer will consider whether alternative coursework can be set.

Such alternative work has in the past been set in the form of a written assignment, a video recording or similar to demonstrate that the student possesses the knowledge specified in the coursework requirement.

A third and final attempt is normally given before resit and rescheduled exams.

Valid absence documented by e.g. a medical certificate does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements.

Etter å ha gjennomført studiet norsk tegnspråk 1, trinn 1-10 skal studentene mestre enkel kommunikasjon på norsk tegnspråk i monologer og dialoger, samt ha grunnleggende kunnskap om vokabular, grammatikk og kulturell kontekst.

Læringsutbyttet er beskrevet i emneplanene.

Norsk tegnspråk 1, trinn 1-10 gir en allmenn innføring i norsk tegnspråk og består av opplæring i tegnspråk og innføring i døves historie og kultur.

Studentene skal lære å bruke tegnspråk i samtale og å forstå enkle tegnspråktekster. Videre gis en teoretisk innføring i hvordan norsk tegnspråk er bygd opp, og en orientering i faget norsk tegnspråk hvor også samfunnsmessige, kulturelle, historiske og kommunikative sider ved faget inngår.

Studiet er bygd opp som to emner, hvert på 15 studiepoeng, og går over ett år med start om høsten. Det er tre samlinger à fem dager i semestret. Emne 2 bygger på undervisningen i emne 1. Til sammen skal de to emnene sikre det læringsutbyttet som de nasjonale styringsdokumentene krever.

Studiets to deler reflekterer lærerens egen progresjon i språklæringen ved at emne 2 bygger på innholdet i emne 1. For nærmere oversikt over fokusområder, se den enkelte emneplan.